1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a holder for a beverage cup, and more particularly concerns a beverage cup holder for use by travelers using wheeled luggage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In travel situations such as in airports, the walking traveler is generally carrying a purse, suitcase, briefcase, packages, or other items of luggage or personal belongings. When just one hand is used to carry such items, the other hand can be used to carry a beverage container such as a cup of coffee, a soft drink can, or the like. However, when both hands are thus occupied, it becomes extremely difficult to do simple tasks such as open doors, search for a passport within a wallet or purse, or hand travel documents to requesting personnel.
Devices have earlier been disclosed to facilitate the hands-free carrying of a beverage in conjunction with luggage. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,671 concerns a holder for a beverage cup wherein said holder is adapted to embrace the handle of a suitcase, thereby enabling the user to hold the suitcase and beverage cup with a single hand.
Luggage items equipped with wheels are in widespread use, particularly in airports where the traveler must often walk considerable distances on smooth-surfaced walkways. Such wheeled luggage items are generally equipped with an upwardly telescoping handle which facilitates pulling of the luggage. It is known to dispose pockets upon the exterior sidewalls of the storage compartment of wheeled luggage items, and such pockets could conceivably be employed to carry beverage cups in an upright position. However, the side pockets widen the lateral profile of the luggage, and this may engender difficulty in passage through narrow aircraft aisles. Although a beverage cup removably secured to the handle of a wheeled luggage item would place the cup at a convenient elevation for the user, any modification of the handle might impair its telescoping functionality.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a device for holding a beverage container in removable association with the telescoping upright handle of a wheeled luggage unit.
It is another object of this invention to provide a device as in the foregoing object which does not impair the telescoping functionality of said handle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device of the aforesaid nature of durable, simple construction amenable to low cost manufacture.
These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.
The above and other beneficial objects and advantages are accomplished in accordance with the present invention by a device for removably holding a beverage container in upright position upon a telescoping upright handle of a wheeled luggage unit, said device comprising:
a) a confining structure configured so as to slidably receive, and secure by gravity effect a beverage container having a substantially circular exterior profile, said confining structure having sidewall retaining means, a bottom member, and a center axis of elongation,
b) opposed jaws, associated with said sidewall retaining means and spring-biased to move together in a path orthogonal to said axis of elongation , and
c) gripping means associated with said jaws and adapted to establish non-slipping contact with said upright handle.